PTA Bans Nights Packages, Suddenly Realizes they are Immoral

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a directive to all mobile phone companies to immediately take down the late night packages, said a statement issued by authority yesterday.

The reason given is that such packages run counter to the social norms and values of the country.

“We have received a number of complaints from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Standing Committee of the Parliament, senators, MNAs and subscribers regarding the promotion of vulgarity through such advertisements and have therefore asked CMOs to immediately discontinue such packages and to present compliance reports,” said PTA Chairman Farooq Awan.

The authority called a meeting attended by all regulatory heads of the licensees, who unanimously admitted that their advertising was not in line with the moral values of the society, added the statement.

According to the PTA, a telecom company told the participants of the meeting that it had already issued a warning letter to service providers who sent out text messages related to these packages.

The PTA says it recognizes that liberalization and tough competition in the cellular mobile market have pushed operators to introduce various promotional packages to subscribers. However, the PTA insists that as long as practices “against social norms” are not encouraged, the operators are free to continue providing better quality of services to their subscribers at affordable prices.

The PTA claims to have arrogated the power crackdown on these packages under the Reorganization Act of 1996, which mandates it to regulate competition in the telecommunication sector, protect consumer rights and ensure that the interests of users are safeguarded and protected.

Protection of consumer interests is specified under Section 18 (1) of the act and the PTA is required to submit yearly reports on the same to the federal government. At the same time, under Section 6 (a) of the act, the authority is also bound to protect the rights of licensees.

instead of educating the youth….you prefer withdrawing facilities……give me a break….they banned like as if call packages were the only obscenity running in youth…next target….facebook,tv channels,bilboards…….

O comeon! Infact you represent typical liberal thinking. The good thing we Pakistanis are at is making fun of others. And Secondly what he has posted reflects a big picture. And least, those who don’t use such packages and recite multiple Surah of Quran don’t use such ‘ethical’ language.

P.S they don’t publicize such neatness of their as well!

moxet

By the way i did’nt mentioned you by name; that’s why don’t be that much silly. furthermore if you are reciting the holy Quran so don’t include yourself in those i mentioned above, you are not one of them Mashallah.

Reciting quran or talking to a girl should not be the job of the government. If anything government should think about giving good economic life to the people. Also if you are going to force the kids to go recite quran they wont because people do what they are stopped from.

also mobile services are going to benefit from this because they would make more money as who has to talk has to talk. No more free packages. Why dont u kill everyone in the country for they want to live the life they want.

yani aap PTA ko yeh haq daina chahtay hain keh they decide your life for you. Next if the govt decids that mosques should be closed as they promote sectarianism (which they actually do), what would be ur reaction? It is not govt’s duty to decide your morals which do not effect the lives of others. No laws can be made on how to lead ones life.

Asad so many people are living in this country who can’t afford to call their relatives at high prices If Govt is banning late night calls then they should think for those who are using these packages for positive use! What about those who are using it for positive purpose? Tumharay jaisay log he tamasha dekh k khush hotay hain. U guys ruin this country actually!

Guest

Can you give example of such “so many poor people” who can’t afford 2rs/min call & use night packages? I would love to know about them

saqil

by the way i think a mature and important conversation doesn’t requires hours of calling,its just the lust and rubbish romantic flirty conversation nothing else as asad said ‘freedom of speach, basic human rights aur pata nhii kis kis cheez pe bhaashan den gay yahan’

farrukh

@ saqil hahaha very well said !

Asad

Can you give example of such “so many poor people” who can’t afford 2rs/min call & use night packages? I would love to know about them. Everyday I see hundreds of poorest people wasting money on cigarettes Haven’t you ever seen that? It depends upon priority sir!

Imran Noorani

I Agree

Saad Durrani

My mom calls my aunt every week in the night because it is cheap. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Solve corruption first!

Asad

You want 1000s of youth to be ruined for cheap calls of your mother & aunt?

Shahid Saleem

And I ask you, how did the “youth” get a mobile connection? And I ask you, where were his parents? If they did not do their duty for 18 years what makes you think a ban from PTA will do the job? But asking you might make you “think” oh no!

Asad

Agreed with you…. Parents are equally responsible

Asad

Secondly, when parents don’t do their job well, then govt has to do the same in a more strict way. This is how human civilization moves. Telling a lie, stealing things, quirelling with others & all similar thing are bad & parent have to make sure that their childern should not be involved in any unethical things. But when parents fail, then law comes in to play its role. Will you still argue in the same way that if parents could not make their childern behave properly theny why police or other law enforcement agencies?

Why we want to see the only side of picture that suits our mindset?????

Shahid Saleem

Ok, so where is the evidence that the problem is so massive that it needs government attention?

WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE

Anecdotes (I heard from a friend… I know the son of a friend… etc) ARE NOT EVIDENCE of a problem large enough for government attention.

Are they our moral contractors. Everything have positive and negative aspects. If they are to only see the negative aspects, I do urge them to put a ban on internet too after the office hours.

Government is gone mad now, these are impositions of govt through this institution called PTA,

Fact is, Idiots are running this country. They should put a ban on life. I am not a user of these night packages but I see that its wrong in principle to ban them.

They are only and only advertised because the traffic on cell phone networks is much more less in night then day. So Cellular companies want some benefit out of that by providing lower tariff for off peak hours.

Rehman Malik invented the banning process and now more and more dept as well as govt orgs and using this without thinking a bit of it.

Hamara kiya banay ga ;-( Already world’s top services are not here in Pakistan, the ones we have will be grabbed back.

I condemn every such act of current govt led by PPP and departments working under it.

disqus_VS07NIAODC

Best Step ….

desi

don’t understand why people in PK wants gov. to control their lives? are we so stupid that we don’t know when to talk and when to sleep? what next ban restaurants after dark?

khnaveed

LOL !! Now all “Night” Packages will be renamed as “Day” Packages :) …

What will be night packages timings? 11-6 or 12-8 who will decide it…. night package should ban but only 12am – 6 am… next…. society achi kro… log bhi achy hon gy… PTA cant stop these teenagers… they will use internet, sms or any other mean…. Shame on Pakistani government and media

Good Step, but very late. They should ban this from start. But better late then never.

Now, ban all morning hourly packages. There is not need of these hourly & unlimited call packages from 9am to 6pm etc. If possible, restrict unlimited sms bundles too. We need to stop wasting times on these stupid forward sms & call. Need to grow up now.

what will happen if they lower the call rates may be something like 5p per minute :P

Guest

In last 6 to 7 years, these nite packages have put our youth especially guys in extremly bad situation.. and in contrast gals got the advantage by moving ahead.. notice urself… who got the most postions in the major exams.. almost all gals.. gals larkoo ko baatao mein laga kar khud tu agay bar gain hai aur larko ko peecha chooooor diya…

Orange

Pta you did the right thing everytime I go to university I see male and female texting each other and not doing their studies I think all student cell phone packages should be banned our people are following western culture and becoming dumb and wasting their parents hard earned money.

Society showing signs of break down and illiteracy. People dying on the streets and all the government can think of is killing business and taking facilities away from people. Why does the government not impose ban on corruption which they themselves are involved in. I fail to understand the mentality of people here, they blame night packages for everything like this wasnt happening before. I would say people had much more maturity before zia ul haq came who caused this degenerative one sided extremist society. According to studies 60 % of the people talking on phone are guards who are on duty across pakistan at night. Also army men who cares about them because they sleep at day time and talk to family at night. All you can see is the bad side. Why dont you control your kids and leave them alone. Why cant they make decisions for themsleves. I have to go piss why does the government not help me in that too,.

Today i received text msg by ufone about 24/7 package ufone to ufone? Which package been banned, zong is working ufone is working mobilink i working, is it some kind of a joke by PTA, bribed heavily packages are active and on going offers textssg being sent. Stop joking with the nation and do.something for real.

Muhammad Shafeeq

Very Good

Its a great step but it come a bit latter. It should be baned from ab-initio. Can u believe that if u want to make a business call it is very costly but these night and other packages are very cheap. Why.?